Vacuum cleaner



N. H. WATTS VACUUM CLEANER Filed Oct. 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 62.ummum EQMMMM Inventor: fiiiobleHfWaLts ls Attovne g.

May 5, 1936.

a w W no WW. n t r a J m A m 0 V e E m 7 m n U i .1 .5 W m 4 o M 1 Z 7,L H a 2i W F K? LTI May 5, 1936. N. H. WATTS VACUUM CLEANER .Fiied Oct.17, 195:5

Patented May s, 1936 UNITED STATES VACUUM CLEANER Noble H. Watts,Bridgeport, Com, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation ofNew York Application October 17, 1933, Serial No. 693,967

SCIaims.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and has for its objectto provide an improved vacuum cleaner which is simple in structure andcapable of being manufactured at low cost.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my inventionattention is directed to the following specification and the claimsappended thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a vacuumcleaner embodying my invention, the outer end of the handle being brokenaway; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the end of the suction nozzleshowing the arrangement for mounting the brush bearings; Fig. 3 is adetail'sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is a detailview, partly in section, of the adjusting means for the front wheels,the section being along the line 44 of Fig. 5looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig. 5 is a side view of a part of the cleaner, a portion ofthe outer nozzle wall being broken away; Fig. 6 is a detail view, partlyin section, of the upper end of the handle showing the grip and themechanism for actuating the handle locking means; Fig.,7 is aperspective view of the central portion of the nozzle, looking towardits inside; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a part of the vacuum cleaner;Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of actuatingmechanism for the handle lock; Fig. 10 is a detail sectional viewshowing a modified form of fan casing and ventilating means for themotor; and Fig. 11 is a front view of the vacuum cleaner casing.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates the motor casing, 2 indicates thefan casing, and 3' indicates the suction nozzle.

One feature of the invention has to do particularly with theconstruction of the motor casing,

the fan casing, and the nozzle whereby the same comprise primarily twomajor parts, each of which is capable of being manufactured by diecasting. To this end, a part of the fan casing is formed integral withthe motor casing and a part is made integral with the nozzle. As will bepointed out more fully hereinafter, by this arrangement I am enabled tomanufacture the casing structure of the cleaner at low cost.

The motor casing comprises a cylindrical side wall 4 having an integralrear end wall 5. The forward end of side wall 4 isopen and is closed bya front wall 6 fixed in position by screws 1. Formed integral with rearend wall 5 and front wall 6 are inwardly projecting sleeves 8 and 9 inwhich are located bearings H! of suitable bearing material, the bearingsbeing surrounded in part by felt washers II which carry lubrication forthe bearings. Preferably bearings III are formed from a suitable selflubricating material. Felt washers H hold an additional supply oflubricant which may be absorbed by the bearing material. This forms asatisfactory type of bearing and at the same time one which is simple instructure and easily assembled in place. The open ends of bearingsleeves 8 and 9 are closed by washers I! which serve to prevent theentrance of foreign material to the bearings. Mounted in bearings I0 isa motor shaft l3 which carries a motor armature l4. Attached to wall 4is the motor field l5.

Formed integral with the motor casing is a radially extending wall Itwhich forms a part of the rear side wall of the fan casing, and formedintegral with wall I6 is an axially extending wall I! which forms a partof the surrounding wall of the fan chamber. The remainder of thesurrounding wall of the fan chamber is formed by a wall [8 integral withthe walls of the suction nozzle. At the rear of wall I6 is a wall I8(Figs. 5 and 8) which defines the discharge opening Iii for the fancasing. Opening l8 slopes downwardly and rearwardly and is adapted tohave the vacuum cleaner bag connected to it.

The suction nozzle comprises front and rear walls l9 and formed integralwith each other and defining a suction inlet opening 2|. The nozzle iscircular at its central portion, as is indicated at 22, and slopesdownwardly and outwardly to form the end portions 23 (see Fig. 11) ofthe nozzle. Surrounding the suction inlet opening 2| is a bumper 24 ofsuitable non-metallic relatively soft material, such as rubber.

Inside the central portion of the nozzle are walls 25 and 26 whichdefine an opening Z'I'which serves to connect the suction nozzle to thefan chamber and through which motor shaft l3 projects into the suctionnozzle. In front wall IS, in line with the end of shaft I3, is anopening 28 to give access to the end of the shaft, the opening beingclosed normally by a. cap or plug 29 held by frictional contact or byother suitable means.

The forward or front wall of the fan chamber is defined by a separateannular plate 30 which may be made by stamping it from relatively thinsheet metal. It has a central opening in alignment with opening 21 and arearwardly extending peripheral flange 3|. Flange 3| fits in an annulargroove 32 in walls l1 and I8 and seals the joint between the walls l1and I8. This serves to prevent leakage of dust or dust laden air throughthe joint. At its central portion plate 38 is supported by a ring 33 ofsuitable elastic material, such as rubber, for example, mounted inopening 21. This arrangement provides a tight seal between plate 30 andthe surrounding wall of opening 21 and at the same time the ring servesto absorb vibration. Also, the arrangement has the advantage that whileproviding a tight seal, still it is easily assembled.

It will be seen that the motor casing I is entirely open at its inner orforward end and that the bearing housing 8 is open at the front. By thisarrangement, the portion of the structure comprising motor casing I,bearing housing 8, and walls I 6 and I1, which form a part of the fancasing, may be .made by die casting in asimple manner as the parts ofthe die can beeasily separated. Likewise the nozzle and integral wall I8may be made by die casting. To enable this to be accomplished, the wallsI 9 and 28 of the nozzle are so shaped and related to each other thatthe distance between the walls is greatest at the nozzle opening, thatis at X, and the distance between the walls above the nozzle opening isthe same as or less than distance X. This enables a die casting patternto be removed from the nozzle in the direction indicated by the arrow 1By my construction, the entire vacuum cleaner casing comprises two majorparts which may be made by die casting, the plate 30, and the wall 6.Thus the entire casing structure can be manufactured at low cost.

Mounted on shaft l3 in the fan casing is a fan or impeller 34, the eyeof which is in line with opening 21. The impeller may be of any suitabletype. In the present instance, it is shown as comprising a disk 35carried by a hub and provided on its front face with suitably curvedvanes 36. Disk 35 is located in spaced relation to front wall 8, thusproviding a space 31 between wall 6 and disk 35. Space 31 is connectedwith the motor casing through openings 38 located adjacent to the centerof wall 6. By this arrangement I utilize fan 34 as a ventilating fan forthe motor. For this purpose, the outer end of the motor casing isprovided with ventilating openings 39 through which air enters the motorcasing and after flowing over the motor windings to cool them, it passesthrough openings 38 and is discharged outwardly by the fan. In otherwords, when the fan is operating, it serves to eflfect a flow of airthrough passages 39 over the motor windings and through openings 38. Therear side of disk 35 acts as a centrifugal fan or blower to effect theflow of air. It will operate in a satisfactory manner without vanes orprojections on its surface, the friction between the air and the surfaceof the disk being suflicient to create a flow of air. However if founddesirable, I may provide shallow ridges or grooves as indicated at 49 toincrease the pumping action. By this arrangement, I avoid the necessityof supplying a separate fan for ventilating the motor casing, and at thesame time, I discharge the air used for ventilating the motor into thevacuum cleaner bag so that any dust which it may contain will be caughtin the bag.

Located in the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is a brush 4| provided withstub shafts 42 at its ends mounted directly in suitable bearing blocks43. Bearing blocks 43 may be made with advantage of a self lubricatingbearing metal, such metals being known. They comprise usually a suitablemetal such as bronze, for example, which has been treated with asuitable lubricant such as graphite or oil. I have found bearings ofthis type to be entirely satisfactory for use as a bearing mounting fora vacuum cleaner brush. Bearing blocks 43 are adjustably mounted so thatbrush 4| may be adjusted relatively to the mouth of the suction nozzle.In the present instance, the bearing blocks are shown as being mountedbetween ways 44 formed by walls cast integral with the ends of thenozzle. At the inner ends of the ways are countersunk openings 45 inwhich are located elongated nuts 46 having slots 41 in their outer endsin which a tool may be inserted for turning the nuts. Located in eachnut is a screw 48 having an enlarged head in the form of a plate 49which rests against bearing block 43. In the present instance, plate 49is shown as being provided with a rectangular slot in which is fasteneda projecting tongue on the end of the screw 48. The screws 48 are heldfrom turning by the plates 49 so that when nuts 46 are turned, thescrews are moved axially relatively to the nuts. By this means, thebearing blocks may be adjusted along the ways 44 by turning the nuts 46.

The brush is provided with a pulley 50 on which a belt 5| runs, the beltengaging a pulley 52 on the end of the motor shaft. The brush is thusdriven from the motor shaft. The belt 5| serves as the sole means forholding the bearing blocks in their ways, it serving to hold the blocksagainst the plates 49. When the brush is adjusted, the belt 5|, which ismade usually of a rubber compound, stretches sufficiently to permit theadjustment of the brush. Also due to its elasticity, it holds the brushbearing blocks 43 tightly against the plates 49. This arrangementprovides a brush support which is simple in structure and easilyadjusted.

The rear end of the vacuum cleaner is supported by two wheels 53 spaceda suitable distance apart. They are carried by a shaft 54 supported inears 55 carried by a plate 56 which extends along the base of the motorcasing and is provided with a flanged end 51 fixed in place by screws58. Ears 55 and plate 56 may be formed with advantage of 45 a singlepiece of metal the ears being bent downwardly from the plate and theflange 51 being bent upwardly therefrom. Plate 56 follows closely thecontour of the bottom of the motor casing, which may with advantage beprovided with a recess for the reception of the plate. To hold theforward end of plate 56 the motor casing is preferably provided with anundercut groove such as is indicated at 59 in which the forward edge ofthe plate is located. it being held therein by the screws 58. This formsa simple supporting construction which can be manufactured at low costand which can be quickly assembled.

At the forward end of the cleaner to the rear of the suction opening aretwo front supporting wheels 68, one on each side of the fan casing. Theyare carried on stub shafts 6| which project outwardly from the end armsof a U-shaped shaft comprising a cross rod 62 and end arms 63. The crossrod 62 is mounted in slots 64 in walls 65 at the rear of the suctionnozzle and are held therein by projections 66 fastened to the rear wallof plate 30. With this arrangement, assembling the parts of the casingserves to fasten the cross rod in its bearing slots. The wheels 60 areadjusted vertically by turning cross rod 62 in the bearing slots. Forthis purpose, there is provided a crank 61 pivoted at its elbow on stubshaft 6| adjacent one of the wheels 60. One arm 68 of the crank isprovided with angular flanges 69 which rear wheels 53 to no; the nozzleoff the floor, this engage opposite sides of arm 63 and the other arm I0is provided with a button 'II which carries a projecting pin 12 adaptedto engage openings 13 arranged in the arc of a circle on the side of themotor casing. Arm I8 is sufficiently flexible so that by pullingoutwardly on button II, the pin may be removed from the opening I3 inwhich it is located. When removed from an opening, the crank may beturned, thus turning cross rod 62 to raise or lower the wheels 60. Whenthe wheels are adjusted to the desired position, the pin I2 is permittedto drop into the adjacent hole I3. This forms a simple adjusting meansfor the wheels and one which is readily operated.

The handle of the vacuum cleaner is pivoted to the motor casing at therear thereof and on opposite sides of it. The handle is provided at itsinner end with a yoke 80, the arms of which straddle the motor casingand are pivotally connected to the motor casing by pivot screws 8I. Atthe central portion of the yoke is an outwardly projecting threaded hub82 in which is located the lower end of a tube 83 which forms the majorportion of the handle. The lower end of tube 83 is heldin hub 82 bymeans of a nut 84 which screws over the hub. Preferably the hub istapered slightly and is split longitudinally so that when nut 84 isscrewed down, the hub is clamped tightly into engagement with the shaft.Connected to the outer end of tube 83 is a handle 85 which may beattached to it in any suitable manner. Handle 85 preferably extends atan angle to tube 83 and in the present instance, it is shown as beingprovided with a portion 86 which fits tightly inside the tube and may beriveted or screwed to it, if found desirable.

It is desirable to provide a latching means for the handle to hold thehandle in its uppermost position relatively to the vacuum cleanercasing; also a means whereby the handle may be used to tilt the vacuumcleaner on its rear wheels. For this purpose, I provide the handle witha sliding latch 88, the end of which is adapted to engage in a notch 89in the. motor casing to fasten the handle in an upright position and toengage a stop 90 to enable the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner to be tiltedupwardly by pressing down on the handle. Stop or shoulder 98 and notch89 are connected together by a groove 9I, the bottom wall of whichslopes upwardly-from stop 98 to the notch. By this means, the handle canbe moved upwardly at any time to bring the latch into notch 89. Latch 88is slidably mounted in a block 92 held in the lower end of tube 83.Block 92 is provided with an axially extending circular opening havinggrooves on opposite sides in which the edges of latch 88, which is inthe form of a fiat strip, slide. In the bottom of the circular openingis a spring 93 which bears against the end of the latch and serves topress it downward. Attached to the latch 88 is a wire 94 which extendsup through tube 83 and at its upper end is connected to the inner end ofa pivoted finger 95. Finger 95 is pivotally mounted on handle 85 by apin 96, the outer end of the finger projecting outwardly so as to bewithin reach of a hand gripping handle 85. By pushing on finger 95, itwill be seen that latch 88 can be lifted against the action of spring 93to remove it from notch 89 or groove 9|.

The normal angle for the handle when the cleaner is being used in suchthat latch 88 lies' in groove 9! and moves forward and backward in thegroove as the cleaner is moved back and forth. If it is desired to tiltthe cleaner on its can be done by bringing latch 88 into engagement withstop 98 and then pressing downward on the handle. If it is desired tolower the handle below stop 98, it is necessary merely to push thefinger 95 to release the latch 88 from the stop, when the handle can bemoved downwardly, if desirable to the horizontal position. This enablesthe cleaner to be pushed under low articles such as beds or dressers.When the cleaner is to be lifted bodily, the handle is moved forwarduntil latch 88 drops into notch 89. The handle is then held rigidly withrespect to the cleaner so that the device as a whole can be lifted andcarried.

Preferably in connection with the handle, I provide a coiled spring 91,(Fig. 5) which at one end engages a pin fastened to the handle and atthe other end engages a fixed part of the motor casing. Spring 91 actsin a direction to move the handle upwardly toward notch 89. By the useof this spring, when the cleaner is being operated, the operator mustalways pushdownwardly on the handle by an amount sufiicient to hold itagainst the action of spring 91. This serves to hold the rear end of thecleaner down so as to keep the wheels 53 firmly on the floor. Otherwise,there might be a tendency for the cleaner to turn on its wheels 68 as apivot, lifting the rear end of the cleaner off the fioor.

The bag for the vacuum cleaner is shown in part at 98. It may be of anysuitable construction and connected atv its outer end to the upper endof the handle in any suitable manner (not shown). The entrance mouth ofthe bag is connected to a metal sleeve 99 having a fianged openingadapted to fit overdischarge opening I8 It is held in position by a pin99 carried by the fan casing and beneath the head of which ears formedby a notch in the flange surrounding the opening in sleeve 99 fit, andby a suitable clamp 99 provided with a loop 99 which engages over a pin99 on sleeve 99. Loop 99 is pivoted to a finger 99 As will be clear froman inspection of Fig. 5, the clamp can be released by swinging finger 99outward and it can be tightened by swinging finger 89 downward.

In Fig. 10 is shown a modified arrangement for ventilating the motorwherein instead of using the rear of the fan disk as a pumping means foreffecting the flow of air over the motor windings, I utilize the vanesof the fan. In this arrangement, the plate I88 which closes the forwardend of the motor casing is provided with openings I8I for the passage ofair to the space I82 between the plate I00 and the disk I83 of the fan,

the vanes of which are indicated at I04. Space I82 is sealed at itsperiphery by overlapping projections I85 and I08 on plate I80 and diskI03, and the space is connected to the eye of the impeller by openingsI01 in disk I83. By this arrangement. when the fan is running, air isdrawn in over the motor windings after the manner shown in Fig. 1 andpasses through openings NH and I 81 to the space-between the fan bladeswhere it is discharged from the periphery of the blades. Otherwise thearrangement shown in Fig. 10 may be the same as that shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 9 is shown a modified handle arrangement. I88 indicates theupper end of the handle tube corresponding to tube 83 of Figs. 1 and 6.It is fastened to grip I09 by a sleeve H8 and set screw III. Plvoted toa lip'IIZ on the lower end of the grip is a finger II3 which projectsout through a slot H4 in tube I88 and has an upturned end provided witha ball II5. Connected to arm H3 inside the tube is a spring H8, theupper end of which is iastened to a pin carried by grip I09. Spring II6. is a light spring being sumclent only to keep the wire 1, whichcorresponds to wire 9! in Figsfl and 6, taut. It is not sufllcient tomove the latch against the action of spring 83. Wire H1, whichcorresponds to wire 94 in Fig. 1, is looped over finger H3. By pressingthe ball I I5 toward the handle, it will be seen that the latch will belifted to remove it from notch 89 or from shoulder 90. In Fig. 9, H8indicates a switch for the vacuum cleaner. The switch is not shown inFig. 6, but it will be understood that it will be arranged in a suitablemanner in connection with the handle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 0! the UnitedStates is:

1. In avacuum cleaner, the combination of a motor casing comprising acylindrical shell open at one end and closed at its other end, a wallintegral with the shell at the open end thereof and forming a part of afan chamber, a nozzle having front and rear walls defining a suctionchamber having a discharge opening, a wall integral with the nozzleforming a part of a fan chamber,

said fan chamber walls being united to each other at their peripheries,and detachable walls, one of which covers the open end of the said shelland another of which is carried by the nozzle for defining the remainderof the Ian chamber, said wall carried by the nozzle comprising a partwhich seals the Joint between the fan chamber walls integral with theshell and nozzle.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a nozzle structure comprising walls which definea central enlarged por tion having a discharge opening and an elongatedinlet mouth, a rearwardly extending fan chamber wall integral with thenozzle structure, a resilient ring surrounding said discharge opening,and a plate having an opening in line with said discharge openingsupported by said ring and rearwardly extending wall for forming part ofthe fan chamber.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having two parts, respectivelyproviding a motor casing and a suction nozzle, one of said parts havinga slot therein, a shaft for carrying supporting wheels adaptedto fit insaid slot, and means for securing said parts together, the other of saidparts being arranged to engage said shaft and hold said shaft in saidslot.

NOBLE H. WATTS.

